Improvement in floating-derricks



eEonGE w.A TALcoT'r, 0F BUEEALQNEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT 'IN FLOATlNG-DE-RRICKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent o. 43,873, dated August 16,1864. I

.To al! whom it may concern: p

Be it known that 1, GEORGE W. TALcoTT,

Aand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved SectionalFloating-Derrick for Wrecking Purposes; and I do. hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact descrip- 'tion thereof, referencebeing` had to the accompanying drawings, making Dart ot' thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view representing'the hullsor barges A A and the top of the sectional arches B ci nnected. Fig. 2is a vertical section of the hulls A Aon a plane between two ot' thearches B, showing one ot' them in elevation, in working position over astinken wreck, C, to which the'grapples are attached. Fig.. 3 is 'avertical section throughv the deck of one of'the barges, showing'one ofthe turn-tables D and the hoisting-machine. connected with-it, both inelevation, andl also aportion of one of thechord-timbers of the aches.Fig. 4 'is a front'elevation, detached, ot' the hoisting-machine, shownin 'side view in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section throughl one ot' thearches B, showing its form transversely. Fig. 6 is a detached view ofvone of the movable bearin gsE of the pnrchaseblocks. Fig. 7 is a viewofthe tackle-block clutch-ring F in its position when the wreck issuspended on chains.. Fie. Sre iresents' the clutch rino' o b 'F asi-tappears when ltripped' for overhauling Fig. 9 represents;

the tackle-blocksv down. the clutch-ring F in the act of being connectedblock by being drawn into .bite by the guywith the chain G afteroverha-uling the tacklef are built 'ou vessels or lighters stationedover i line a, while held in position by means of the are drawn under itand power applied to them i by means ot capstans, windlasses, or othertrip-line 11. Fig. 10 is a detached view of the i toggle-bar andbracegrapple S.

Like letters 0f reference designate correspending 'parts in ull ofthefigures of the drawings. i

. The natureof my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a series of arches upon the decks ot' two steam-barges,

Y -each' arch being bisected vertically; and the sections arranged eachnpon'a turn-table on the decks ofthe vessels, which is operated bysteam-power in the hold, so that ythe sections may be swung aroundlengthwise of the'deck forsailing, or connected 'with theircorresponding sections on the othcil barge. for the purpose ot operatingon submerged wrecks. The arches may be ot' any required number that the'dimensions 0i' the barges will'accommodate, 'or thatthe burdenrequiredto beraised may' demand, as each is provided with ahoistv ing-machinesituateddirectly underneath :the turn-table, and a tackle-block for eachsection, so that two sections,.being firmly connected together, theyconstitute an independent arch capable of being .employed with itsadjuncts for 'raising and supporting aI body separately or inconjunction with the others ofthe series,

and the -sections are alsolcapable of separate action by'beingre'volvedon-their axes to bring them into or out of service, and,.by being movedbodily across the deck of the vessel, to l give more or less'spacebetween the two barges, according4 Vto the size of the erated on. i

' It also consistsy in a peculiar construction of the hoist-ingmachinery, ada ptin g it to the rais-r ing of heavy burdens in asten-dyand uniform manner, and in 'au improved form of* clutch' ring forholding the chain cable by the tackleblock, land allowing the same to beoverhauled in deep water, if necessary; and, further, in

the construction of the grappling devices for connecting to sunkenwrecks with greater facility than hasfheretofore been done.

My -invention will best be understood by af l general description of theoperation of raising a wreck, followed by a more particular descriptionof the specific parts which I clain.

-sjwrecking is usually conducted, temporary arches or bentsf ofsut'tlcient strength the place ot'the sunken wreck, when cablesmechanism, usually by manual labor, until the wreck is raised to thesurface, pumped free from. water, and iioated ott' to a place of vsafety. 'This process would be suicient ordinarily were the foundationof these appliances lirm and stable, but on the treacherous v pieces andbe lost. The liability to this dliywreck to be opmay be raised in a`much shorter time, thereby incurring less riskby the period there beingone to each half-section o t' the arches.' Vt'hatever number of them Imay emhas follows: Each ot bolted iirmly to vand there may also be oneon the bottom. On one section they culty is greatly increased by theslow process of working. which involves a delay of many daysin securinga wreck. t

It is the object of my invention to so facilitate this operationv byadapting my structure and machinery tothepnrpose that a wreck ofexposure, and by having the power contained within my apparatus not onlycapable of raising and snstaining the load ,but of propelling it to aplace of greatersafety or more convenient operation in shoal water, evenbefore'it is raised to the surface. To accomplish this result I provid-eeach ot' my barges with a propeller-wheel in the stern and a boiler ofsutlicient capacity to supplynot only the engine ofthe'propeller butalso engines for each hoisting-machine,

ploy, and in order that, in case ot' 'a sudden and violent storm,no partof the apparatus need -be lost, as well as to facilitate going to andfrom the. place ot'4 operation, the semiarches are turned on tlnircentral bearings, 1),-as shown in red linesv in Fig. l, so as to standclosely side by side andnearlylongitudinal with the barges, and trim orbalance -the vessels in sailing order, so that they can ride safely inall weather.

The arches are,constructed'with double chord-timbers'or stringers d d,andthe vertical supporters e e unite and are bolted or 'framed togetherbefore reachingv the crowntimbers c c, which are divided at the span,but unite before reaching the crown, as is best represented in Figs. land 5. By this'me'ans each arch is made to brace itself laterally, so asto stand firmly, as well as to secure greater strength at the base in'the coupling of -the strin gers, where the greatest strain falls when inoperation.

The coul l ng of the archsections iseft'e'cted the chord-timbers d d hastwo or more heavy straps or bars ot' iron, ff, it, one being on eachside,

la: e applied so as to be movable longitudinally, and a swing-bar, g,from the opposite section being hooked onto a bolt or pin, c', providedfor the purpose, the movable one is made to draw the arches' togethertightly and in true line at the base by a screw and .hand-wheel, h,preferably. When the connection 'hasbeen made suticientlyY .tight inthis manner, several bolts are passed through the movable bars andtimbers before attaching to the wreck, to relievetlie screw from thedrum, its office being -the hawser, andthus straint which mightotherwise strip oftl the thread. The arch-sections rest on vthelturntables when they are swung on board the ves-v sels, but; whenYraising a wreck they rest on chords H I-I, built up fiom the hull ofthevessels on a line with the rails. Theturntables rest on friction-rollersJ J, which move on a track, k, which is raised by the handscrews I I orother appliances, to elevate the aI-ch-secchain cable G, which tionsabove the checks or sels when they 'are' being swung around, so

that the weight is thrown on the friction-rollers.

it clear; 4from the chocks, when itis secured by means of thejhook orclamp I, or its equiva-` The arms ofv this clamp are bolted withtwobolts, which lent. through `the st-rin gers d hold its-rigidly. Byremoving one, the other acts as a pivot onwhich the clamp .may :beturned back and disengaged from the platform of the turn-table, as shownby the red lines in- Fig. 2. A series of bolt-holes m m, is vided, so`that the clamp'may be altered to adjust it to the position which the'occupy relative to the turntable.

` The arch sections are made for rigging in and outboard,7 to adapt themto the width of the wreckfthat is', they are capable ofan end! wisemovement across the deck or beam of the barges to givel a greater span.effected by' raising are attached to the side of the chock. 4 Theserollers are raisedand lowered in` the sat'nel manneras the turn tablesby hand-screws ll, 't When raised in this manner, the sections canbemoved in and out board by the winch.-

gearing on the bracket .J acting'on a rackfbar provided for the purposeon the lower side'of the Stringer; The cla'ntp's I I, that vhold thearches fast to the turn-tables, must have been previously loosened, sothat they,A will work 'free from each other during the change.

Double truss-bracesK in each section of the arch, stayed underneathwith' angular braces lor arches n n, between eachdivision of the up-`rights' c e, form a stable supportrfor'the bearing-block E, as well asa double track on which it is moved, to adapt the tackle-block to thcWidth of space to which the-archrmay' be adjusted. The hawser O, whichmay be of wire,

Manilla,or chain,.passe`s from thetackleblock L between'the braces K andover a frictionroller in the block E; thence over a'similarlyconstructedand movable bearing-block, Ef," placed directly ovcrthe tubular centerof the turn-table l),and,passingdown through itis wound up on the threedrums L- L L. These are grooved spirally, so, that `the hawser willfollow in al true coil and not ride one coil uponanothe'r. The thirdorlast, L, is a slack prevent any possibility of its slipping. Thesedrums are drivenby Vgearingfrom that to so as to multiply the power thelarger wheels,

and steady motion. The

and give a slow' power, is still farther increased by the tackle-v'block L, which should have four or morev sheaves, ,and that beinglconnected with the is around or grappled to the wreck,it is apparentthat' the lifting power hearingson the vesprol section may 4 This is`them on rollers n n, which to take ,up the slackof which is appliedtothe wreck from the several arch-sections may be very great, andincreased to any extent that the strength ofthe construction willwithstand. A beveled pinion on 'the shaft of 1piniou,p, Fig. 3, drivesthe red and pinion g g', which, when thro-wn into gear with the teeth onthe periphery ot' the turn table D, causes it to revolve to swing thearches around fory the purposes heretofore mentioned.

A small engine is applied to each of the hoisting-machines, so that onemay be worked independently of theother, or all together. Another enginedrives the propeller-wheel of each barge, so that the attendance of atug is not required, thus saving a considerable eX- pense, and theksteam from the same boiler supplies all the engines. The barges havingbeen brought into positionover the place of the' wreck, the tackleblocksare overhauled so as to bring the clutch-ring F down to the rail of theIwreck, if it does not lie too deepsay, in fourA or tive fathoms. If thewreck lies f.

on a rock, so that a chain, G, may be passed under it,thatisdone, andboth ends orabiteof Vt he same 'being fastened securely in theclutchrings, the machinery7 in the hulls is started andthe hostingbegins, and continues until the wreck is raised sufficiently to allow ofthe other chains being swept under it, whcn'the v hoisting power of eacharch is putin motion and all lift equally. 1f 'the wreck lies embedded,it may be raised sufficiently by grappling to get a chain under it. I'employ two kinds ot'l grapplers, one (shown at Q, Fig.'2) formed withteeth ou the outer side of two curved diverging bars which are suspendedfrom a j chain cable, the head or shank bei-ng provided with a stock, s,like that ot' 'an anchor. yThe sharp teeth r make it self-connectingwhen it is drawn -up under the stern or other projecting portion ot' aslinken vessel. The other form of grapple is shown in Fig. 10. Itconsists of a shank, w,'having Vpivoted at one end l a toggle-bar, x,which, when in a position parallel with lthc shank, will pass through ahole in the side of thc vessel, and is then turned in a position whichdoes not admit of its being drawn out, as shown in Fig. 2. Neartheoppositc endvof the shank,` where it is attached to the chain G, abrace, y, is pivoted in such e a manner that, when the toggle-bar isinserted sofas to hold, thc brace is set against the outn side ofthehull, supporting the shank at the peint Where the lifting power isapplied. This requires the services ot' adiver to go down@ and bore ahole in which to insert the toggle end of the grapple, but furtherdiving is not requisite in using my apparatus..

1t', in raising a wreck, it -is iu water of such depth that it isnecessary to fjeet the tackle, or overhaul it down again while the wreckis partially raised, the ends of the' chain G are drawn up and securedtoa brace of the arch which sustains the wreck for the time and leavesthe tackle and hawser free for overhauling. When the tackle has beenoverhauled, connection is again made between the chain'and tackle-blocksby means of the improved clutclrring F and the trip and guy l lines b a,as shown in Fig. 7, 8, and 9. This l clutch-ring consists of a ringpivoted to the 1 tackle-block. and having on the side opposite ,lthereto a yoke or extension, c, formed by elonl gating the side ofthe'ring so that the links ot' i the chain G, will ent( redgewisebetween tl e I parallel sides, but cannot be drawn through l itbecausethe links above and below, being transverse, are too large topass. The opcraf tion of this clutch-ring is simple, and will'he i bestunderstood by the drawing in Fig. 7,

i vhere the chain G, which snstains'thel wreck,

der waterwithout difficulty and without the loaded chain afteroverhauling, it being drawn onto the chain. by theguy-line a, while heldin position by the trip-line b.

The' pivot orccnter ot the turn-tables consists of a large iron tubeextending down through ythe deck, (shown most clearly at-D' in thesection, Fig. 2.)

The advantages of this construction are important, as it allows thehawser' to pass through th'etube exactly in' the center transversely ofthe arch, and withoutilterfering with anything, while it serves as aguard to protect the hawser from friction or injury while workl ing. I talso acts as a stay to prevent the arches 'from tarring, and steadiesthe barges it' they careeu, while its form combines the greateststrength obtainable from the amount ot' metal employed, The arches areto 'Je cross-bolted with strong iron tension rods between each post inevery section.

The construction of the bisected arches B I5, 3 with. their adjuncts,consisting of the turntable l) and chocks or side bearings H El, givesthe apparatus great adaptability for the lpurpose of wrecking and formany other purposes, such as .submarine construction, as it is obviousthat either ot' the hulls A may he anchored, and the haltsections of thcarches, turning freely on the turntables by means ot' mechanism, may beemployed to `unload stone 2 or-hold, and, by means ofthe tackle, lowerit to great depths with precision; and by dropping the arch-secticnsonto the checks H each may be used as an independent derrick to raise'heavy bodies, such as pieces ofsunken ordnance.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isl. The vertically-bisected arch orarches B, i in combination with thebarges or-hulls A A, when the same are constructed that the i thebarges, so that the tackle-block may be liected down. This operationtakes place unaid of a diver. Fig. 9 shows the manner in' whichtheclutch-ring is connected with the` or other heavy materia-l from thevessels deck 4 4 sauva sections may` be disconnected and swung:` on

board the vessels for sailing, or connected with corresponding sectionson another vessel to forni a complete arch, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In combination with the bisected arch 0r arches B, the tubularturntable D, arranged and operating substantially as 'and for thepurposes described.

3. In combination with the bisected arches B, the tackle L, and movablebearings E E',

arranged'and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the adjustable turntable D, the ebooks orbearings H H,` for receiving the vweight of the arches B B and'theirburthen directly on the sides ot' the vessels after theturn-tableshave been lowered away, substantially as described 5. Workingthe arch-sections B 'in' oront board on the harges A A by means oftherack on chord d and pinion on the bracket J, or their equivalent,lsubstantially as' and 'for the purposes set forth.

6. The hoisting apparatus consistingot' the drums L L" L', pinions. o pM, in combina-.

tion with the d ividedswinging'arch-sections B and tackle L,substantially as' setforth.

7. The/combination and arrangement ofthe movable tackle-bearin g blocksor carriagesE 'E' with' the trussbrace .K,`which forms,v

trnckfor th'eA same, v`sulst'anftiall-'yjas shown'v and described.`

s. .Forming the arches 15s-,divided it 'nie base,

or chord and united at the crown, for the pu rpose ofgivinggreatersteadiness and stability, substantially as described.

9. The self connecting grapple Q, constrnct-` ed substantially asdescribed, for fastening toprojecting parts of awreck without lthe aidof a diver.

10. The divers grapple S, consisting of the stock 1,0, toggle-bar rv,and brace y, for fastening to the side of' a vessel, 4as -set forth.

1l. The clutch-ring-F, constructed with the yoke o, in' combinationwiththe' chain'G,

tackleblock L, trip-line' b, and guy a, arrange and operatingsubstantialfy as set forth..

12. The combination of a series of swinging bisected arches, B yB,`tackle L, grap'plesvQ and S, with hoisting machine and engine for eacharch-seotion,`and the two-hulls or barges vA A, allarranged andoperating together for the purpose ol' raising sunken vessels,&e.,

substantially as set fort-l1,y

Inwitness whereof I have hereunto signed l my name'initlie presence oftwo subscribing witnesses'. f i

